


Wisdom

by cathtice



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-24
Updated: 2012-08-24
Packaged: 2017-11-12 19:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/494622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathtice/pseuds/cathtice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, wisdom's a cold mistress.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wisdom

So way back when, right, Medusa was one of Athena's girls. She hung out at her temple, did the laundry, polished the statues and made sure the lamps were lit, that kinda stuff. The place was basically like a safe house for anyone who didn't want to get hitched - back in the day, girls were beaten into it just like they are now. 

So she was one of the cutest of the girls there - no lie, she sometimes saw herself and her curly mop of hair in the mirror made of the bronze of Athena's aegis, her special shield, and saw she was pretty hot. It's sometimes a bit hard to know that, especially when there's nymphs out there flaunting and showing it off and all that and you're being really devoted to the virgin goddess in spite of the boys who, you know, like to look. 

Then there was one guy who came by. Poseidon, Athena's uncle - and there was some pretty bad blood there. The city of Athens had basically said he was a bit of a slacker compared to his niece (he gave them horses, fresh from the surf; she gave them the olive tree and its bounty, forever and ever) and he's given her grief over that ever since. So he rolls by the Parthenon, just to see the lie of the land, and he spots Medusa making faces at her own reflection and smiling at what she sees.

So he takes her. On the floor of Athena's own temple and safehouse, he breaks her and he makes her scream.

Athena doesn't hear the screams. She gets there too late to do anything, but when she sees Medusa all asprawl and with her chiton up round her waist, Poseidon looking all smug as he wanders off, she looks at Medusa and she looks at the sea-god's strutting back and she looks at the reflection in her aegis and she turns to Medusa. "If you like being looked at so much, _woman_ ," (because she used to be a girl; used to be one of Athena's girls, till man had touched her and broke her) "You're never going to be looked at again. Trust me on that one..."

And as she spoke, Medusa's pretty curls were coiling round each other like live things, thickening and hissing and snapping as they grew scales, and eyes, and dripping fangs.

"I curse you." Athena said, not knowing or caring about the facts, just that Medusa broke her virgin vows to Athena in Athena's temple, on the floor in front of the shield that protects the weak and reflects away evil. "I curse you. No one will look on you and live. Leave this temple, and never come back again, and I swear, one day I will see you die."

***

Years later, she kept her vow. She lent her aegis to Perseus, showed him what to do; and he took Medusa's head and gave it to Athena. She still wears it, on her breast, front and centre. And Medusa's dead gaze still turns Athena's enemies to stone. 

The only beautiful thing to come out of that was Medusa's son. As she died, as her blood hit the floor, Poseidon felt a twist of guilt. From her life's blood, Pegasus sprang - the perfect white winged horse; son of shame and defender of the innocent.

**Author's Note:**

> A friend of mine said 'Athena? I thought she was pretty cool in the stories.' 'Most of the time...' I said.


End file.
